pounds 19K LEGAL BILL FOR BOMB JOKE STUDENT.

Byline: By AIDAN McGURRAN

A STUDENT was yesterday cleared of sparking a major airport alert after sending a jokey bomb text message - but has been left with a pounds 19,000 bill.

Angela Sceats, 19, was found not guilty of instigating a bomb hoax. But Recorder Rex Bryan refused to allow public funds to pay her defence costs.

He said at Chelmsford crown court: "She has admitted she sent the text. As a result of that there was a colossal waste of public resources, inconvenience, not to say fear, amongst the public."

Australian Sceats was arrested on November 22 last year after sending a text to pal Angela Forster while running late for a flight at Stansted. Sceats, who was working in London during a gap year, said in the message: "Can you ring the police and tell them there is a bomb on the 8.10pm flight from Stansted to Dublin."

Miss Forster rang the police and texted Sceats back saying "Serious" to which Sceats replied "Absolutely. Hurry up!"

Sceats, who spent 10 days in jail, denied the offence claiming the text was an "extremely bad joke".

She said outside court: "I have always maintained this was a misunderstanding."

CAPTION(S):

PAYING: Angela Sceats